Walk away: Indians rally again, keep AL Central hopes alive
โWe want to win the division.โDown 3-1 and held to one hit for eight innings, the Indians found more of the late-inning magic that has carried them this week. Delino DeShields โ who broke up Pittsburgh's no-hit bid with a perfectly placed bunt single in the seventh โ hit a one-out RBI single. Adam Plutko (2-2) picked up his first career win in relief for the Indians (34-25), who have clinched a playoff spot but want more. It's quite a turnaround for the Indians, who recently dropped eight straight from Sept. 8-16 and have been plagued with offensive inconsistency all season. Gregory Polanco hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning off Carrasco, but the Pirates couldn't hold on and dropped to 2-16 against AL Central teams.
What Would Have Been: MLB All-Star Game and British Open
There has not even been a regular season game yet because of the coronavirus. Instead of MLB's best gathering this week at Dodger Stadium for the All-Star Game, players are at their home ballparks for summer camp to prepare for the start of the season July 23-24. At least the All-Star Game no longer determines home field advantage for the World Series, like it did from 2003-16, so the absence of the game won't be problematic in that sense. TRIVIA BREAK: When was the last time MLB didn't hold an All-Star Game, and where was that game supposed to be played? TRIVIA ANSWER: This is the first time since 1945 without an MLB All-Star Game, and only the second time since the first All-Star Game in 1933.